Travelogue around Asia Pacific

Singapore - Fly the inaugural A380 flight from Singapore to Sydney and back; with all proceeds going to charities. SQ will auction seats on the world's 1st commercial Airbus A380 flight on eBay. According to SQ, the move is in response to an overwhelming number of people from world over, who wants to be part of this history-making flight. Singapore Airlines will be the first airline to put the giant double decker in commercial service in October. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to charity and all customers on this historic flight will receive a personalised ceremonial certificate confirming that they were part of the first commercial A380 flight. The delivery of the 1st commercial A380 was bumpy - with delivery delayed for almost two years owing to technical issues. SQ has secured support from 3 global partners fro this charity event. ExxonMobil Aviation will donate the fuel for the flights; eBay will subsidise the fees and charges from the auction; and Paypal wi...

A WHO study says the risk of developing deep vein thombosis doubles after 4 hours of travel including car and train journeys, estimating that one in 6,000 long-haul passengers is at risk. Who are at risk? Tall people who legs are jammed in economy class and the very short whose feet do not touch the ground are particularly vulnerable to potentially dangerous blood clots linked to immbobility during travel. Also the obese, women on birth control pills and those with blood clothing disorders are also more susceptible, as are frequent travellers and those who take very long journeys. The risk is immobility - without regular muscle contractions, blood starts to pool in the legs and can create conditions for a clot, or thrombus, to develop in deep veins. Thrombosis can be symptom-free to trigger cramps, soreness and swelling in affected areas. It is most dangerous in cases where blood clots travel through the body to the lung, blocking blood flow. Such pulmonary embolism, characterised by...

My son said "why don't you write about Racial Harmony Day?".... Background : Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21 July in Singapore. The event is to commemorate the 1964 Race Riots, which took place on 21 July 1964. Racial Harmony Day also represents a day for schools to reflect on, and celebrate Singapore's success as a racially harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritage. In schools all across the nation on that day, students are encouraged to be dressed in their traditional costumes such as the Cheongsam and the Baju Kurung. Traditional delicacies are also featured in the celebrations. Traditional games such as Kutih-kutih and zero point are played in schools, where inter-class competitions are sometimes organised. Schools are also encouraged to recite a declaration on religious harmony during the celebrations. We, the people in Singapore, declare that religious harmony is vital for peace, progress and prosperity in ou...

Seoul - It is comforting to note that when you travel your partners and friends who drives refrains from drinking. Singapore drivers should follow the Korean example if they intend to have a drinking session with their friends. Lately, 2 popular Singapore artistes were caught drink driving and was jailed. There are many occassions when I am out with partners on drinking sessions - either one don't drink or the hire "replacement drivers" to bring them home. There are so many services in Seoul that provides people to drink and still be alive or not in jail the next day. One is "replacement drivers" to drive your car back to your home for a fee of KW15,000. It seems in Seoul there are tens of thousands of replacement drivers operating in this hard-drinking metropolis of 10 million people. Some 100,000 replacement drivers handle 700,000 customers a day, the nuber shooting up by 30% on Fridays. Their work has become such as essential part of life in Seoul and other m...

Woke up early for my 1st trip to Busan to meet new partners..it was a 2hrs 45 minutes high speed ride at 245km/hr from Seoul to Busan. We caught the 8.45am KTX to Busan at Seoul Station. The ride was noticeably comfortable. Busan is Korea's second largest city with close to 4 million people. It also serves as the country's main port for international cargo, as well as passenger ferries to Japan and Jeju Island. This city was hotter and humid than Seoul. In my business suit, I was perspiring and wet under the suit. This city is famous for its seafood. So, for lunch - we had sashimi, and the fish is called " Jul Dom " - the chef remarked that five Jul Dom fishes was prepared for us. After lunch, we made our way to the Busan station for the 2.45 hrs back to Seoul. It was a very tiring day but the night was not over - we had to meet another partner for dinner and further drinking. I missed eating "Unagi" (Grilled Eel) so I was explaining this to the concierge b...

Knock-knock "House-keeping"...open the door in my daze and was pissed that someone woke me up from my slumber before the alarm bell. This was the first time such a nuissance happened to me. Visited Insa-dong - it looks like the arty scene of Seoul. Insa-dong, located in the middle of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each store is unique. The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. I bought a souvenir that looks like the shape of a question mark, "?" - do you know what it is for? A: To scratch my back.... Lunch was interesting because Young-jin insisted that we have it at a popular traditional Korean restaurant but it comes with waiting standing outside the entrance for 30 min...

The taxi arrived late at my home and when I reach Changi Airport, I nearly missed the flight to Seoul - I just rushed to my gate to board the plane. Because of Singapore's booming economy, the airport is packed with business travellers. So early in the morning, the 5 counters for KrisFlyer Gold's priority passengers were full. As the saying goes..."When it rains, it pours" - taxi arrived late, long queue to get my board pass, last passenger to board, had to change 5 times for a decent audio headseat to watch a movie" But I am glad I arrive safely and this will be my 54th trip to Seoul and I like coming back here...the limo bus journey from the Inchon Airport to the Hotel was very long - taking 2 hrs to reach the Hotel. The weather was warm around 25 degrees Celcius, as it's Summer. Today, I am staying at Seoul Renaissance Hotel which is my usual hotel as it is very centrally located at Samsung-dong - right in downtown Seoul. Upon reaching the hotel, Youn...

Now you can fly from India through Singapore, to China for under S$500. Or to Taipei or Darwin for about S$300? or choose from a dozens of exotic destinations served by the region's low cost carriers (LCCs). Within a span of 5 yeas, regional LCCs have dramatically changed the dynamics of air travel. And in the process, Singapore - with its strategic location has emerged as the de facto hub for regional low cost air travel. By connecting the dots around the region, and offering cut-rate tickets, Tiger Airways , Jetstar Asia , AirAsia , Cebu Pacific , Air India Express , Bangkok Airways , Lion Air , and others have effectively "commoditized" air transport for the region's half--billion people. To cater to the demand, carriers like Tiger and AirAsia are already buying more planes. Tiger, which has a current fleet of nine aircraft, will take delivery of 70 planes by 2014, while AsiaAsia will have a fleet of 100 planes by the decade's end. Tiger Airways has another hub...